Sealing valve for controlling fluid flow through a passage

In combination with a tubular casing having a passage therethrough defined by an interior surface of the casing, a sealing valve for controlling the flow of fluid through the passage, the sealing valve having inner and outer ends and being adapted to be inserted, inner end first, in an inward direction into the passage, said sealing valve comprising:

• a valve body releasably secured in the passage of the tubular casing, said valve body having a longitudinal axis generally coaxial with said passage, and a longitudinal bore through the valve body;
• a valve seat on the valve body;
• a sealing assembly comprising a sealing device sealingly engageable with the valve seat, the sealing device being movable in an inward direction with respect to the valve seat from a closed sealing position in which the sealing mechanism sealingly engages the valve seat to block fluid flow through the bore in the valve body to an open position in which the sealing device is spaced from the valve seat to permit fluid flow through the bore;
• and
• a filter element adjacent the inner end of the sealing valve configured for substantially preventing passage of particulate matter of a size capable of interfering with movement of the sealing device to its closed sealing position;
• said valve body, sealing assembly and filter element being so constructed that they are held in assembly with one another independent of the tubular casing so that they can be simultaneously installed as a single unit in the tubular casing passage and simultaneously removed as a single unit from the tubular casing.

A sealing valve for controlling the flow of fluid through a passage in a tubular casing having an internal shoulder, the sealing valve having inner and outer ends and being adapted to be inserted, inner end first, in an inward direction into the passage of the tubular casing, said sealing valve comprising:

• a valve body having a longitudinal axis and a longitudinal bore therethrough, said valve body being formed for releasable connection to the tubular casing when the valve body is inserted into the passage of the tubular casing to a position in which the longitudinal axis of the body is generally coaxial with the passage;
• a valve seat on the valve body;
• a sealing assembly comprising a sealing device adapted for sealing engagement with the valve seat, the sealing device being movable in an inward direction with respect to the valve seat from a closed sealing position in which the sealing device sealingly engages the valve seat to block fluid flow through the bore in the valve body to an open position in which the sealing device is spaced from the valve seat to permit fluid flow through the bore;
• and
• a filter assembly adjacent the inner end of the sealing valve sized and configured for engaging the internal shoulder of the casing so that substantially all of the fluid flowing through the passage passes through the filter assembly, the filter assembly including a filter element configured for substantially preventing passage of particulate matter of a size capable of interfering with movement of the sealing device to its closed sealing position;
• said valve body, sealing assembly and filter assembly being so constructed that they are held in assembly with one another independent of the tubular casing so that they can be simultaneously installed as a single unit in the tubular casing passage and simultaneously removed as a single unit from the tubular casing passage.